Gas-purifier.



W. E.' ASHTON.

GAS PURIFIER. APPLIUATION FILED Dnc. 29,1900.

Patented July 27, 1909,

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TORNEK WILLIAM EASTRLYASHTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-PURIIIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented July 27, 1909.

Application filed December 29, 130g. Serial No. 469,810.

upon automobiles andboatsin connection y l with acetylene lamps.`

. It is well known ,that much trouble has been ex )erienced with acet lene lampsupon automobiles, owing to the c ogging of the gas pipes and burners by the condensation of water and mineral impurities carried over by the gas, and various means have been de vised for purifyingthe gas to prevent vsuch trouble, but usuallyr such devices either have been too complicatedv and expensive, or have which they were intended.

The main objects of this invention are te provide a simple, durable and inexpensive gas purifier-of compact form and neat ap pcarance, which may be used with any form` of gas generator; to rovidefvconvenient .means whereby the purilpier may be connected tothe frame of an automobile or to any other fixed support; to provide a purifier .i D5 which may be readily taken a )art for inspection or cleaning or removal o parts; to pro vide a purifier so constructed that all of the gas passing through the purifier will be thorV gas purifier comprises a casing made o metalor other material impervious to gas and moisture having a main body portion l preferably of'cylindrical forni, arranged vertilcally when in ,o ierati've position 4and closed I at its lower ond lby abottom 2,'Which is conf cavo upouitsuppor or inner side, and-is pro- ,..ivided,centrallywithV a threaded opening 2F failed to perform satisfactorily the WVOIk i011.

closed by a threaded plug 3, l The upper end of the main ortion 1 of the casmg is open,

'and' is provi ed with external screw threads 4, over which is threaded a cylindrical cover e0 or cap 5, having a substantially fiat., closed upperend 6. The cap 5 is provided above' the screw threaded portion and in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cap with` a permanently attached Substarn tially flat annular diaphragm Shaving a cir,- cular opening 9 therethrough and concentric therewith, the diaphragm being made of a material practically impervious to gas.

The diaphragm 8 forms a lhorizontal parti- 7o tion between the upper and lower portions of the interior of the canin The space within the cap abovethe dia liragm 8 forms a liltration chamber 11, which 1s filled with any suitable filtering material, the diaphragm Aconstituting the bottom of the cham er@ The'lower portion ofthe purifier is con structed to form a separator, and is provided With a gas inlet pipe 12, which enters the body Iportion 1 of the casing adJaeent the lower edge of the cap 5, and beneath the diaphragm 8 ,cferab yin a direction perpendicular to tile longitudinal axis of the easing, andthen turns at right angles downwardly parallel to the side of the casing, and is fixed 1n Contact therewith, termlnatmg in an openI end preferably one inch from the bottom of thetcasing. I

The puriiied 'gas is conducted from the Purifier 'by an outlet pipe '13, Which is preferably arranged diainetrically of the pui-n fier upon thel under side of, and fixed in con tact with the top of the cap of the purifier, the open inlet end of the pipe being within thel :filtration chamber adjacent the side'of the chamber beyond the o'penin in the die phragrn between the filtration c. amber and the separator l; .The inlet and outlet openings of the filtration chamber being thus spaced horizontally apart, .the gas cannot escape lby creeping vertically along the slde Walls ofthe chamber and must pass through tho'ltering material, whereby all of the gas passingl through the purifier is thoroug ly cleansed and dried, TheI diaphragm 'separating theltration chamber from the separatori prevents the gas in the separator from creepin vertically alongthe side walls of thecasing into the` opening of the outlet of the purifier, and directs it 'through the open ing lin thel diaphragm which is covered by the' filtering material forming a foraminous closure therefor. The filtration chamber is filled with any well-known filterin material for purifying the gas, such as c arcoal o r cotton.

Inl the operation of the purifier, the crude gas, full of particles of sand, coke, lime, dust,

steam, soot, oily matters and tar, enters through the inlet pipe 12;, The-incoming gas strikes violently against the sharp turn in the'pipe and is then .forcibly directed downwardagainst the bottom of the separator. The violent shaking which the gas receives in the pipe and against the fioor of the separator causes the small bubbles. of water which are in the acetylene and which contain steam and other impurities-to be broken up and to fall with their contents tov the bottom. lSome of the water as Well as other impurities come from the generator in i the form of vapor, which is immediately condensed on reaching the cool separating chamber, and being heavier than acetylene, separate from the gas'. The gas in entering the se arator being .directed downward by the'in et pi e, the-current from the generator isbro en, and uninterru ted flow of acetylene to the upper chamber 1s prevented.

A large part of the impurities is in: this way separated from the acetylene and deposited in the lower partof the separator before the gas has a chance to pass on.

#The impurities having been thus shaken and 'condensed out of the crude gas, the

` acetylene rises to the top ofthe separating 'o enin 4 chamber and'passes .into the upper or filtration and drying chamber through the small t iroug other filtering material with which the chamber is packed, and then enters the outlet pipe 13, pure and dry, to be. distributed to the burners.

- A The peculiar construction of the purifier roduces a remarkably high-grade acetyene, as the gas must pass through the filterin'g material and be thoroughly filtered andl dried beforeentering the outlet pi e.

The bottom of the chamber being sea ed tight (exceptat the opening in its center which is lugged with the cotton packing or other terlng material), the gas cannot slide along' l its 'side into the outlet pipewithout first enfiltration materia to the cen-tra opening in t also across the cotton packing tering the opening and filtering through the The positron of the internal openin 'of the outlet pipe in relation e floor of the chamber is a featurein the construction of great value in obtaining perfect filtration,

as the gas is forcednot only through but vto reach the entrance of the'outlet pipe.

Owing to the construction ofthe urifier,

. `as well as to the elastic character `o the filtration materialthe pressure of gas is automatically regulated in the generator and at 9 in its fioor .8. It now passes, the raw cotton (not absorbent), or

the burners. This results in a great saving of carbid and a full yield of acetylene, as the pressure of. gasis always substantially the same and consequently there is never an excess of water fed to the generator by an irregularor weak gas pressure.A

When it is necessary to'draw off the fluid impurities which have collected in theseparator the plug 3 is removed and the material allowed to drain away.

- It is apparent that the purifier maybe readily'jtaken apart and the filtering material readily changed in the filtration chamber, lor that `any other renewals or repairs may be easily'm'ade It is also apparent that the full lengths of the inlet and outlet pipes within the purifier, being in contact with the side and end respectivelyxof. the purifier, stifi'en these parts and are held thereby rigidly. in

position.

For fastening the `purifier to any fixed support, such as the frame of an automobile, there is providedv a bracket in the form of a. yoke 15,-rigid with a standard 16, fixed upon a ase late 17, provided with holes 18 for the attac ment offastening means. The yoke 15 is provided at its ends with holes 19 for the reception of bolts 20, whereby the ends of the metal strap 21 passing around the purifier are heldin position, the ends .of the strap being provided with holes to-receive the bolt.

The strap 21 is just beneath and in contact with the inlet. pipe 12 whereby the purifier ing a cylindrical lower portion close` at its lower end, said lower end being provided with an aperture, a closure for said aperture a cap having a closed top forming the upper end of said casing,-v an apertured diaphragn" fixed in said cap and dividing the interior of the casing into anupper chamber and a lower chamber, an inlet ipeentering. said lower chamber horizonta ly and extending vertically downward therein, `in contact with-one side thereof, and opening adjacent to the bottom thereof,l an outlet pipe in said upper chamber extending horizontally in contact with the inner surface of said cap, and filtering material in said upper chamber.

2. .A gas purifier comprising a casing, having a' lower portion closed at its lower end,

said lower end being. provided with an aper-l ture, a closure for said perture, a cap forming the upper-end of said casng,jan apertured diaphragm fixed in said cap and dividing the 'ing a lower portion provided with an outlety l0.

at its lower end, a removable cap formingthe upper end of said casing, an apertured diaphragm fixed in said cap and dividing the interior of the casing into anupper chamber and a lower chamber, an inlet pipe entering said lower chamber and extending downwardly therein, and opening adacent to the bottom thereof, an outlet ipe eading from said upper chamber, and fi tering material in said upper chamber.

30` 4,- A gas purifier co'rnprisingaJ casing having a'lower portion provided with an outlet per end of said lower portion,'an apertured diaphragm fixed insaid capland dividing the interior of the casing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, an inlet ipe-entering said lower chamber and exten ing down'"" wardly therein and openingadjacent tothe bottom thereof, an outlet pipe leading from said upper chamber, and filtering material in said upper chamber.

5. A gas purifier comprising a casing having a body portion provided with an outlet and with an inlet pipe entering therein, a cap removably mounted upon one'end of said body portion, an apertured diaphragm fixed in said cap, and forming a filteringchamber Y in said cap, said cap being provided with anl Outlet pipeleading from said filtering chamber.

6. A gas purifier comprising a casing having a body portion closed at one end and open at the opposite end and provided with an outlet at the -closed end,l a cap havingv an apertured diaphragm fixed therein, said cap being removably mountedover the open end of said body and being provided with an outlet,

an inlet pipe entering said body portion, and y Afilterng material in said cap. at its lower end, a cap threaded upon the up- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of December, 1908.

WILLIAM EASTERLY ASHTON.

Witnessesz.

A. I. GARDNER, ALEXANDER "PARK, 

